Southern Soul Food Plate

The Southern Soul Food Plate

The Menu

• Buttermilk Fried Chicken (golden, crunchy, juicy)

• Slow-Simmered Collard Greens with smoked turkey or ham hock

• Baked Macaroni and Cheese (custard-style, not stovetop)

• Candied Yams (buttery, spiced, glossy sweet)

• Skillet Cornbread with honey butter

• Optional Finish: Banana pudding or peach cobbler

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Game Plan Timeline

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1. Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg (3.5 lbs) chicken pieces (legs, thighs, breasts halved)

• 3 cups buttermilk

• 2 tbsp hot sauce (Louisiana or Texas Pete)

• 3 cups self-rising flour

• 2 tbsp seasoned salt (Lawry’s)

• 1 tbsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp cayenne (optional)

• Peanut oil or vegetable shortening, for frying (about 1.5 litres)

Method

1. Brine: Combine buttermilk and hot sauce. Submerge chicken pieces, cover, and refrigerate 4-12 hours.

2. Season the flour: In a large bowl or paper bag, mix flour, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne.

3. Dredge: Remove chicken from buttermilk (don’t shake off excess). Drop directly into flour. Press flour firmly onto every piece to create craggy bits. Shake off excess. Let coated chicken rest on a wire rack for 15 minutes — this helps the coating adhere.

4. Fry: Heat oil to 160-165°C (320-330°F) in a deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Fry chicken in batches, turning occasionally, for 14-18 minutes (dark meat) or 12-15 minutes (white meat) until deeply golden and internal temp hits 74°C (165°F) . Maintain oil temperature — don’t crowd the pan.

5. Drain: Rest on a wire rack set over paper towels. Sprinkle with a little extra salt while hot.

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2. Slow-Simmered Collard Greens

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 large bunches collard greens (about 1 kg), washed, stems removed, chopped into ribbons

• 1 smoked turkey leg or 2 smoked ham hocks

• 1 large onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp sugar

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• Hot sauce and pepper vinegar, for serving

Method

1. Render: In a large pot, sauté onion in a drizzle of oil until soft. Add garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute.

2. Simmer: Add the smoked turkey leg, stock, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Pack the collards into the pot (they’ll wilt down). Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for 2-2.5 hours until meltingly tender and the pot liquor is rich.

3. Finish: Remove the turkey leg, shred the meat, return it to the pot. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar. Serve with plenty of pot liquor.

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3. Baked Macaroni and Cheese (Custard-Style)

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 500g (1 lb) elbow macaroni, cooked 1 minute less than package directions

• 3 large eggs

• 1 can (360ml / 12 oz) evaporated milk

• 2 cups (480ml) whole milk

• 1 tsp seasoned salt

• ½ tsp white pepper

• ½ tsp mustard powder

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• 450g (4 cups) freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 225g (2 cups) freshly shredded Colby Jack or Monterey Jack cheese

• 100g (1 cup) freshly shredded mozzarella, for the top

Method

1. Custard: Whisk eggs, evaporated milk, whole milk, seasoned salt, white pepper, mustard powder, and melted butter.

2. Layer: In a buttered 9×13 dish, layer half the macaroni, half the cheddar/Colby Jack mix. Repeat. Pour the custard over everything. It should come just to the top of the noodles. Jiggle the dish to settle. Top with mozzarella.

3. Bake: 175°C (350°F) for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly and the center is just set (a slight jiggle is fine, it sets as it cools). Let rest 15 minutes before scooping.

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4. Candied Yams (Southern-Style)

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm (½-inch) rounds or chunks

• ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter

• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar

• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Layer: Arrange sweet potatoes in a buttered baking dish.

2. Syrup: In a saucepan, melt butter with both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Stir until sugar dissolves into a glossy syrup.

3. Bake: Pour the syrup over the sweet potatoes. Cover with foil and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 45 minutes. Uncover, baste the potatoes with the pan syrup, and bake another 30-40 minutes until tender and the syrup is thick and sticky. The edges should be slightly caramelized.

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5. Skillet Cornbread

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1½ cups cornmeal (yellow)

• ½ cup plain flour

• 1 tbsp sugar (optional)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 1½ cups buttermilk

• 1 large egg

• 4 tbsp bacon drippings or melted butter

Method

1. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in a 220°C (425°F) oven with 2 tbsp bacon drippings until smoking hot.

2. Whisk dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, and remaining 2 tbsp melted drippings. Combine wet and dry, stir until just mixed.

3. Pour batter into the hot skillet — it should sizzle. Bake 18-22 minutes until golden. Turn out and serve with honey butter.

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Plating the Soul Food Plate

Arrange each plate with:

• 2 pieces of fried chicken

• A generous scoop of collard greens with pot liquor

• A square of baked mac and cheese with that golden crust

• A few candied yam slices, glossy with syrup

• A wedge of skillet cornbread with honey butter

• Hot sauce and pepper vinegar on the side

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The Finishing Touch: Banana Pudding

If you have it in you, a tray of Southern banana pudding — vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, custard, and meringue — is the only proper ending.